Rotterdam Graffiti – Where to find it

Rotterdam is one of the rawest cities in the Netherlands – with its modern architecture lends and cool urban look, it certainly has a unique atmosphere. Of course, you can choose to stroll along the city’s main streets and central parades, but we have something a bit more off-road for you to check out. Residents will know that about the thriving Rotterdam Graffiti and street art scene – the city is bursting with the eye-catching work of artists from across the world, working in a variety of styles. Curious? Here’s our breakdown of the best ways and places to find awesome street art in Rotterdam.

Rewriters walking route
Naturally, one of the best ways to see what Rotterdam’s art scene has to offer is to follow a walking route. One such route is from the Rewriters, an organization for street artists in Rotterdam who have helpfully built a free app to map out the city’s best hotspots and sites for great graffiti. The tour starts at Rotterdam Central Station and leads you through the harbor and around the city, passing the best murals in the cityscape, old and new, local and international.

However, if you want to cut right to the best bits, or just catch a ride back to the center of town for lunch, then that’s no problem – Uber’s got you covered! Just a couple of taps on the app and you can get from one end of town to the other in no time. You could use the multiple destinations feature to plan your own Rotterdam Street Art tour! If you’re struggling to for ideas though, take a look at our top picks for tags, sprays and murals in Rotterdam.

Highlights

1. The port. The port of Rotterdam is worth visiting in of itself, but it is also a fantastic destination for street art. One of our favorites is a huge pink crocodile-like monster painted against the harbor wall, which makes it seem to be in the water.

2. De Witte de Withstraat – The most attractive street in Rotterdam also attracts a great deal of art and decoration. The absolute highlight is Love Sprends by the Brazilian artist Ramon Martins. This gigantic, colorful painting brightens the back of apartment building on the Kromme Elleboog. And in the side-streets, you can find more South American-inspired colourful portraits from Rotterdam artist Tymon Ferenc De Laat.

3. Ferro Dome – This former event location has been left empty for years, this becoming the perfect flower bed for all varieties of Rotterdam graffiti and street art murals. Amongst all the different tags, styles and images, it is difficult to point out a favorite, but one piece, an homage to Rotterdam photographer Herman Roelofs, really stands out.